Prince William says people in ex-colonies must decide monarchy’s role

Prince William ended a turbulent tour of
the Caribbean by starkly admitting this weekend that the region’s former
British colonies must decide whether to scrap the monarchy’s role in their
countries.

The 39-year-old Duke of Cambridge also hinted that a British royal may in
future no longer head the club of 54 Commonwealth countries as the political
association of ex-colonies evolves.

The unusually candid comments, which were splashed on the front of several
British newspapers Sunday, followed a rocky three-country Caribbean tour over
the last week which drew both protests and criticism.

William and his wife Catherine, 40, faced calls to apologise for the slave
trade that helped make past British royals’ fortunes, and accusations of
appearing “tone deaf” over elements of the visit.

They were also forced to confront the issue of former colonies considering
whether to follow Barbados’ lead and ditch the queen as their head of state.

Barbados formally declared itself a republic in November.

Belize, Jamaica and The Bahamas — all stops on the royal tour — are each
said to be mulling such a move.

Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness pointedly told William in front of
television cameras that the nation was “moving on” as an independent country.

“I know that this tour has brought into even sharper focus questions about
the past and the future,” the Duke of Cambridge said in an end-of-tour
statement Saturday.

“In Belize, Jamaica and The Bahamas, that future is for the people to decide
upon.”

William added he and his wife “are committed to service” and that meant “not
telling people what to do” but instead “serving and supporting them”.

– ‘On my mind’ –

The Commonwealth, a grouping of 54 mainly former British colonies, is headed
by Queen Elizabeth II.

In 2018, its leaders formally announced that her son and heir Prince Charles
would inherit the role when he becomes king.

But William, second-in-line to the throne, said that “who the Commonwealth
chooses to lead its family in the future isn’t what is on my mind”.

“What matters to us is the potential the Commonwealth family has to create a
better future for the people who form it, and our commitment to serve and
support as best we can,” he added.

The couple’s Caribbean trip was intended to help Commonwealth countries where
his 95-year-old grandmother is also head of state celebrate her record-
breaking 70 years on the throne.

But what were designed to be carefully choreographed photocalls and public
appearances for Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee did not go entirely to
plan.

In Belize, they angered some locals after failing to consult on parts of
their itinerary, while they then prompted placard-bearing protests in
Jamaica.

Demonstrators demanded the monarchy pay reparations and apologize for its
role in the slave trade that brought hundreds of thousands of Africans to the
island to toil under inhumane conditions.

Meanwhile, some of the optics of the tour drew criticism for evoking colonial
rule, including the couple greeting kids through metal chain-link fences and
William parading in an open-topped jeep in military uniform.

AFP